ECT psychiatrists and device manufacturers aren’t telling patients the truth about ECT side effects and this is now resulting in legal consequences
Still pushing marketing over science
These ‘safe and effective’ papers by ECT psychs repeatedly ignore the 24 adverse event categories described by the FDA
Studies by psychiatrists involving ETC are still found to be pushing the marketing line of how ‘safe and effective’ ECT treatment is. As this exact phrase is used again and again one can imagine the email that was sent around to ensure they all plugged this as a slogan in their ‘scientific’ papers.
In 2011, the USA Food and Drug Administration did the most extensive review of ECT ever with the Neurological Devices Panel giving its finding in the FDA Executive Summary, Meeting to Discuss the Classification of Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices (ECT). 1
Of course, none of these ECT psych ‘scientific’ papers mention the 27 adverse side effect groups listed by the FDA that cover things such as brain injury, cognition and memory impairment, partial relief of depression enabling completed suicide, death and others.
Of course, these ‘safe and effective’ studies never mention, despite being pointed out by the FDA, that psychiatry has never even bothered to research 8 categories of side effects from ECT. These include vital things such as the effect of ECT on the lifespan of the patient, ECT inducing coma and homicidal tendencies.
The public are being misinformed about ECT
…the question is how many patients are shown this warning and how many would be willing to risk the ‘Russian roulette’ of ECT if they were?
The result is that the general public and persons presenting as patients are not being given a full and frank description of the possible side effects of ECT. ‘Informed consent’ is a sham.
This misinformation is showing up in the press and websites, even those by government agencies.
So while the US Thymatron ® System IV Instruction Manual now includes the following warning as part of a Regulatory Update for users of the machine, the question is how many patients are shown this warning and how many would be willing to risk the ‘Russian roulette’ of ECT if they were?
“A small minority of patients treated with ECT later report devastating cognitive consequences. Patients may indicate that they have dense amnesia extending far back into the past for events of personal significance or that broad cognitive function are so impaired that the patients are no longer able to engage in former occupations…in some patient self-reports of profound ECT- induced deficits may reflect objective loss of function…In rare cases, ECT may result in a dense and persistent retrograde amnesia extending to years…” 2
Maybe the ECT psych’s ‘safe and effective’ papers should include this statement as a mandatory disclosure?
Misinformation has consequences
Spreading this information and failing to give a full and frank explanation of the actual side effects of ECT has consequences.
Patients fighting back with lawsuits
In the United Kingdom, Feeths lawyers are suing the National Health Service on behalf of dozens of ECT patients on the basis of no or misinformation given regarding treatment side effects.
“At Freeths we are seeing more and more clients coming to us with long-lasting effects from ECT treatments and complaints about the lack of information given to them in addition to a lack of consent. ” 3 4
In the United States, litigation is currently underway based on this very point of patients not being given the full scope of potential side effects.
An important judgement occurred in 2018: “In October of 2018, in Riera v. Somatics, LLC, the United States District Court for the Central District of California ruled that there was sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find that the prominent manufacturer of ECT devices, Somatics, LLC, caused brain injury in the plaintiffs by failing to warn their treating physicians of the risk of brain injury associated with ECT, and also through a failure to investigate and report to the FDA complaints of brain damage and death resulting from ECT.“
This resulted in the following disclosure published on the Somatics, LLC website:
“ECT may result in anterograde or retrograde amnesia. Such post-treatment typically dissipates over time, however, incomplete recovery is possible. In rare cases, patients may experience permanent memory loss or permanent brain damage.” 5 6
Further results in this area by DK Law Group have included the removal of Statute of Limitation restrictions: “As a result, we are now able to successfully argue that regardless of how long ago the last ECT procedure was performed, the statute of limitations to apply to ECT victims does not begin to run until the discovery of the damage caused by ECT occurs.” … “As a result of the evidence that continues to be secured, numerous new actions are now being filed against the ECT manufacturers nationwide to recover for permanent cognitive impairment caused by the unwarned potential for brain damage from ECT.” 7
There are currently some 20 lawsuits extant against electroshock machine manufacturers and it would appear many more are on the horizon.
ECT Device manufacturer filed for bankruptcy
One of the two electroshock machine manufacturers in the United States, MEKTA Corporation, was filed for bankruptcy on 30 September 2021, following the company being unable to get liability insurance for its electroshock machine. The company was subjected to 5 lawsuits naming MEKTA Corporation where persons were suing for damages as a result of damage they had experienced from ECT or they were falsely informed or not informed at all of the actual risks of ECT treatment. 8 9 10
Further References:
Electroconvulsive therapy side effects
ECT: Is this the best you can do?
- FDA Executive Summary Prepared for the January 27-28, 2011 meeting of the Neurological Devices Panel Meeting to Discuss the Classification of Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices (ECT)
- Thymatron® System IV Cautions and Warnings
- Daily Mail 2020. Dozens of patients sue the NHS over claims they suffered brain damage after having depression treatment of electrical currents through the head
- Freeths. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
- DK Law Group ECT Shock Treatment Litigation – Case Update June 2019
- Life After ECT ECT LAWSUIT VICTORY – RIERA V. SOMATICS, LLC, 2018.
- ECT Shock Treatment Litigation – Update April 2020
- Unicourt. 30.9.21. MECTA Corporation
- Reorg. 10.1.20. UPDATE 1: Facing ‘Direct Harassment and Meritless Litigation,’ Electroconvulsive Therapy Device Maker MECTA Corporation Seeks to Reorganize
- Truthaboutect.org. 28.3.22. MECTA Electroshock Device Manufacturer Files for Bankruptcy as its Shock Box Loses Liability Insurance